Method of manufacturing co-molded inserts

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a co-molded insert part for use in composite, plastic, or metal parts is disclosed. The method comprises the step of providing a three-dimensional molding insert produced by a layer additive manufacturing process. The method further comprises the step of applying a layer material in contact with at least a portion of the molding insert. The method further comprises the step of co-molding the layer material and the molding insert simultaneously to produce a co-molded insert part.

Description

BACKGROUND[0001]1) Field of the Disclosure[0002]The disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing co-molded inserts. In particular, the disclosure relates to a method of manufacturing co-molded inserts for use in composite, plastic, and metal parts using additive manufacturing.[0003]2) Description of Related Art[0004]Composite, plastic, and metal parts can be used in the manufacture of spacecraft, aircraft, military craft, automobiles, watercraft, and other vehicles and craft. Creating geometrically complex, high performance, three-dimensional composite, plastic, or metal parts typically requires multiple sets of tooling and molding operations. Such composite, plastic, or metal parts also typically require assembly with molded inserts made of other materials for joining or system integration, such as wiring or hydraulic brackets. Known methods and systems for making such molded or assembled inserts may require molding, forming, casting, tooling, and / or curing operations, as well a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a method for manufacturing co-molded inserts using additive manufacturing, which can create complex designs with high precision and reduce costs. The method can be used in a variety of materials and can be used to make parts for vehicles and spacecraft. The key technical effects include improved mechanical performance, reduced labor requirements, and improved assembly accuracy.

Problems solved by technology

Known methods and systems for making such molded or assembled inserts may require molding, forming, casting, tooling, and / or curing operations, as well as machining tools and fixtures to create such inserts, and this can be costly and require significant production lead time.

Moreover, molded inserts for use in fiber reinforced plastic parts are normally made individually, thus requiring a large number of parts and associated logistics.

Known methods and systems may require individually molded or machined inserts to be assembled piecemeal, which can introduce precision errors and can result in increased labor costs.

In addition, known methods for manually assembling molded or co-molded inserts can lack precision, as the precise assembly of such inserts typically requires fixtures, jigs, or laser projection type guides to position, place, and bond such inserts to the plastic part precisely.

The use of such fixtures for precise assembly can be costly and time consuming.

In addition, known methods and systems can impose geometric limitations on the design of such molded or co-molded inserts.

None of the known methods and systems provide all of the numerous advantages discussed herein.

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